Rate recording attachment for integrating meters



0ct. 13, 1936. Ffs. BRAINARD RATE RECOEETNG ATTACHMENT EOE INTEGRATING METERS Filled Nov. 1o, 1952 Il I [2e ver@ Z023' Fran raz/war 5.5/ aizqz/ 55 ear motion, such as a cam mechanism. A trac- Figi 3*-is an elevation of the device for at- 55 .Patented Oct. 13, 1936 A i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RATE RECORDING ATTACHMENT FOR 11-iTEaRATn-io METERS Frank S. Brainard, Hartford, Conn., assignor. of ane-fifth to Roswell F. Hatch, West Hartford, onn.

Application November 10, 1932, Serial No. y641,978

6 Claims. (Cl. 234-1) This invention relates broadly to meters for ing implement is carried thereby and arranged indicating the volume or quantity of any mateto make a record on a chronological chart gradrial or form of energy, but more specically uated in units corresponding to those of the it consists of an attachment capable of applimeter. Y

cation to any integrating meter having a mov- A meter adapted to record large-volume ow 5 ing indicator by which a time function may be will fail to reco-rd small flows. For example, a introduced into the record, thereby producing a meter for recording the flow in an eight inch rate record. y pipe, might not be actuated by the opening of While thel invention is capable of application a one-half inch tap. Therefore, on large instal- 10 to any kind of an integrating meter, it is parlations, it is usual to arrange a small by-pass l0 ticularly useful in connection with the usual around the large meter and to put a small-volwater meters. Therefore, a description of the unie meter in the by-pass. A check valve keeps invention as applied to a water meter will enthe larger pipe closed until the flow is great able any lskilled mechanic to make use of the enough to actuate the large meter. The total invention in connection with any desired meter. flow is the sum of the reading of the two clocks, 15

' The usual water meter employed for domestic although it is to be understood that the two purposes and wherever Water is measured for meters are sometimes 4built into one instrument. the purpose of charging the customer in accord- Such an arrangement is known as a compound ance'with the quantity used, indicates the total meter.

2,) number of gallons or cubic feet that have passed A further object of the invention is to protherethrough. Itis often necessary for the water vide means for making a single rate chart from company to determine not only the amount for a compound meter. This is preferably a port- Which payment is to be made but also the rate able attachment similar to that previously set at which water is being used at any or all hours forth. This object is accomplished by providoi' the day.. Here'tofore it has been necessary ing a coupling for each clock and driving two 25 to install a special raterec'ording meter or, independent tracing implements to make indemore commonly, to station a man with a sto-p4 pendent records on a single chronological chart. watch beside the meter to make a series of obv A still further object is to provide a device servations. There are numerous occasions when of the character set forth, which can be readily l it is of great importance to know the rate of attached to one or more meters by simply re- 30 flow. This is necessary in order to determine the moving the cover or covers, and which cannot maximum ilow so as to check on meter and damage the delicate indicating mechanism of the pipe sizes, to detect leakage, to detect the cause meter. For this purpose, a freely adjustable of abnormally large bills, and to check the acmounting is provided which may be attached to curacy or meters. The greatest need of a rate the meter casing by the screws used to retain 35 record is to determine the reason for what the the meter cover and which will hold the coupuser of Water claims to be an excessive bill. A ling in operative relation with any one of the rate chart, for a twenty-four hour period, will several pointers of a meter. Preferably a .flexindicate the time of abnormal use and through ible drive shaft runs from the coupling to a -sep' 4.0 this the exact cause of an apparently excessive arate base carrying the clock-driven chart and bill can be pointed out. the tracing implement.

The object of the invention is to provide an These features employed to the accomplishinexpensive device which can be readily attached ment or" these objects and such others as may to any meter without changing the installation be apparent. will best be understood by referconnections, which will make a coordinated rccence to the following detailed description and 45 ord of time and volume--in other words, make accompanying drawing which disclose one em- 4a rate record from an integrating meter. Meters bodiment of the invention, particularly adapted are commonly provided with a series of pointers for use with a water meter. and dials known as the clock and usually Referring to the drawing,

the pointers move with relation to the dials. In Figure 1 is a plan view 'of the device as at'- 50 the present invention, a coupling is provided tached to a compound water meter, the cover which engages the pointer and is rotated therebeing removed from the instrument; by. This coupling drives a device for trans-` Fig. 24is a section taken on the line 2-2 of v lating rotary motion into approximately rectilin- Fig. 1;

taching the coupling in operative relation with one of the pointers on a water meter, y

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a compound meter such as is shown in Fig. 1, and Y Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the coupling and meter pointer.

When employed on a compound meter, the invention comprises two translating mechanisms which are substantially identical. As a matter of convenience the clocks of the two meters comprising a compound meter, are shown separate although, as previously stated, they are often combined in a single casing. A compound meter comprises a clock 5 of a meter inserted in a large-volume pipe 6 (Fig. 4). A by-pass 1 is arranged around this meter and in this bypass is inserted a small-flow meter having a clock 8. A weighted check valve S is inserted in the pipe 6`so that until the volume of water becomes sufiicient to lift the check valve 9, the flow passes through the by-pass 1 and actuates only the clock 8. When the flow of water becomes sumcient, the check valve is lifted from its seat and an additional record is then made by the clock-5.

As shown in Fig. l, one of the pointers, hands or needles of the clock is connected by a coupling I0 with a flexible shaft il. In order that the coupling may be placed in operative relation with a meter of any type and with any desired pointer on the clock, it is provided with a. universally adiustable support so that the coupling can be positioned in cooperative relation with a pointerin any position.

'Ihe coupling i0 consists of a member havingy (see Fig. 5), so that when the pointer turns, the

coupling is driven. The coupling is connected by a universal joint to the lower end of the exible shaft Il, andthe shaft is supported in a plate I3. In order that this plate carrying the lower end of thefiexible shaft may be adjusted laterally and vertically in accordance with the particular meter, it is supported by two slotted plates Il which are engaged between wing nuts I5 carried by two threaded studs It. The lower ends of the studs are secured by wing nuts\i1 in. slotted arms il. One end of each of the arms Il is provided with an opening to receive screw threaded means such as screws I9 which'may be inserted in the tapped holes used to\secarure the cover of the meter in place. In the `swing this cover has been removed. It will be apparent that by this construction, the coupling I0 can be adjusted vertically by means of the wing nuts I I and the severall slotted 'plates `provide means for swinging the coupling laterallyasmaybedesiredsoastoholditin operative relation with any of the pointers as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The flexible shaft Il preferably runs -to a separate instrument base 20 shown in Fig. 1, (in which the cover has been removed), on which are rigidly mounted two plates 2l and 22 (Fig. 2). These plates carry two cams 23 and 24 which are substantially identical and therefore but one need be described. Cam 24 is mounted on a shaft 25,.the upper end of which is slotted to receive a removable coupling 26 driven by the flexible shaft il. This cam engages a roll on one end of a lever 21, pivoted at 28. 'Ihe other end of this lever carries a tracing implement or stylus 29 which is arranged to make a record on a chart Il mounted on a stud 3| driven by a clock mechanism 32. A spring 33 holds the two levers in engagement with their actuating cams.

Cam 2l is so shaped that one complete revolution of the pointer I2 will cause a complete oscillation of the lever 21. The chart 30 may be graduated circumferontially in accordance with the speed of the clock mechanism. As show-n in the drawing, the chart is intended to be turned once in twenty-four hours. Therefore, if the pointer i2 is the ten-foot pointer on the meter, a complete oscillation of the tracing implement 29 will represent ten cubic feet of water, and the tracing made by the movement in one direction represents five cubic feet. The chart may be divided by circumferential line as shown in Fig. l, in which case each space will represent one cubic foot.

The other meter is connected by a mechanism substantially identical with that described, to the tracing implement 35 and by this arrangement the volume of water flowing through the meter 0 is recorded, together with the time of the flow, on the outer portion 36 of the chart while the volume and time of now on the second meter 5 is recorded on the inner portion 31.' A record has been shown on the chart for the purpose of illustration. This record shows that between :00 and 10:15 P. M.

' six cubic feet of water passed through the left hand meter and about two cubic feet of water passed through the right hand meter. This is shown by the number of circumferential spaces passed by the tracing implements during that time. Thus the total ow between 10:00 and 10:15 was eight cubic feet of water. By the way of further example, the chart indicates that between 2:00 and 4:00 A. M. there was no flow through the meter recorded on the inner portion 31. During this time the meter recorded on the outer portion 38 shows the passage of about two cubic feet of water. Thissmall continuous flow at this particular time of the night may indicate a leakage o r waste of water which could not be detected by the ordinary integrating meter. An examination of the chartwill also indicate the time and duration of the maximum now and, therefore, the sufiiciency of the supply system may be estimated, which would be impossible from the recording of an integrating meter.

As a matter of convenience it is preferred to operate the instrument by a flexible shaft so that a small and light connection may be supported by the meter and the heavier instrument may be positioned as may be convenient on the floor or the wall. It will be apparent however that if desired, substantialL' the same construction might be mounted directly over the dial of the meter, thus substituting a rigid driving 'connection for the flexible shaft. It will also be apparent that various modifications may be made for adapting the broad idea of the invention to use with other kinds of meters. Ihe chart may be provided with any desired graduations, both of time and flow, in accordance with the nature of that which is to be recorded. Also, the chart may have a single series of graduations if it is desired to use the invention with a meter having a single clock. It is to be understood that a single embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration only, and the scope of the invention is to be determined solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a recording attachment the combination with a meter having -a movable pointer, a meter cover held in place by screw threaded means, and a movable chart to receive arecord from a stylus, of s. support for attachmentto the meter by the screw threaded means, a plate carried by the support, means to adjust the plate with relation to the meter, a shaft operatively connected with the stylus and'`l carried by said plate, and means for eecting a driving connection between the shaft and the pointer.

2. A driving connection adapted for use between a meter having a revolving Pointer, and a tracing implement movable over a chronologically driven chart, comprising a shaft having one end in driving relation with the pointer, a bearing for the shaft, means for removably attaching the bearing to the meter, means for securing the bearing in adjusted position withA relation to the pointer, and connections between the shaft and the tracing implement for driving the latter to make a record on the chart.

3. A driving connection for use between a meter having a plurality of revolving pointers and a tracing implement movable over a chronolcgically driven chart, comprising a shaft driven by a pointer, a bearing for the shaft, means for removably attaching the bearing to the meter and means for adjusting the bearing in a plane parallel to the plane of the pointers and perpendicular thereto, whereby one end o! 'meter a revolving pointer, and a tracing implement movable over a chronologically driven chart, comprising a coupling supported solely by a meter part and revolved by the pointer, a flexible driving means between the coupling and the tracing implement, and a support at the meter for said driving means, adiustably positionable with respect to the meter.

5. In a recording attachment for connection to a meter of the hand and dial type said attachment having a time-driven chart and a cam actuated stylus for marking thereon, the combination of a plate, means for attaching said plate to the meter, means for positioning the plate with respect to the meter in a plane paralleltoandinaplaneverticaltothedialoisaid meter, a shaft for driving said cam, a bearing for said shaft in said plate and means for drivinl the shaft from the hand of the meter.

6. In a recording attachment for connection toa-meter of the hand and dial type. said atta'chment having a time-driven chart and a stylus for marking thereon, the combination of a coupling supported by the dial' and revolved by the hand, a ilexible shaft having one end loosely engaging the coupling and driven thereby, a plate forming a bearing for the shalt, means for positioning the plate with respect to the meter in a plane parallel to and in a plane vertical to said dial, and actuating connections between the shaft and the stylus whereby the stylus is moved over the chart by the hand to make a mark on the chart.

FRANK S. BRAINARD. 

